Septoplasty: under general or sedation anesthesia. Which is more efficacious?

The objective of the study was to assess the more efficacious anesthesia method in septal surgery. The prospective study was conducted at an academic secondary referral center. A prospective chart review of 60 patients, between the ages of 16 and 65, who underwent septal surgery under general (GA) or sedation (SDA) anesthesia during 1-year period was done. Mean age of the patients was 44.30 ± 13.29. Patients were divided into two groups according to the anesthesia method: general (group 1) or sedation (group 2). Intraoperative hemodynamic variables, surgery time, intraoperative blood loss volume, length of hospital stay, postoperative vomiting and nausea, postoperative pain score according to the visual analog scale (VAS) and cost analysis of each method were compared. Thirty-six males and 24 females with a mean age 44.30 ± 13.29 were included to the study. Total operation time, operation time, intraoperative and postoperative bleeding volume, postoperative nausea and vomiting, duration of hospital stay after surgery, were better in group 2. Postoperative pain scores and patient satisfaction about surgery were not statistically different. Cost of anesthesia in group 1 per patient was $44.35 ± 10.81 and in group 2, $16.29 ± 11.88 (p < 0.01). Hospital stay after surgery was much longer in group 1 than group 2 (p < 0.01). Using SDA is better in many ways including cost-effectiveness than using GA for septoplasty operation.